Adjustable shade-fixture.



I. S. SHERWIN.

ADJUSTABLE SHADE FIXTURE.

APPLIOATION rum) DBO. 20. ms.

1,1 12,726. Patented 001;. 6, 1914.

HUN 1'.

amwml o't l S- SHERWIN THE NORRIS PETERS 50., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, 0. C4

p TATES PATENT @FFMJE.

ISAAC S. SHERWIN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ADJUSTABLE SHADE-FIXTURE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Isaac S. SHERWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at l ashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Shade-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to shade fixtures of the type which embodies vertically disposed supports secured to the opposite sides of the window-frame, and runners slidingly mounted on said supports and adapted to be held at different elevations, the runners being designed to directly support a spring actuated shade roller on which the shade is wound, whereby any desired portion of the window, either top or bottom, or the entire extent of window, may be exposed according to the requirements of the occupant of the room, with respect to ventilation and light.

The present invention has for its primary object a simple, durable and eflicient con struction of adjustable window shade holder or fixtures embodying a novel and useful construction of reversible pulley and rod support, whereby the one pattern of this device may be used on either the left side or the right side of the window frame, whereby no rights or lefts are required, the said support being also so arranged and constructed that it may be easily secured either to the inner face of the window frame or to the opposing edges thereof, according to the particular requirements of the case.

A further obj ect of the invention is an improved construction of runner, the same being so formed as to be practically noiseless, all rattling being avoided, and being so arranged in connection with the lowering and elevating cords that the runners will be maintained in a true vertical position, and all binding and consequent scraping will be avoided.

In this connection, the invention also has for one of its objects a runner so formed that the cord passing therethrough will have the additional function of securely holding in place, the locking pin designed to extend through one of the gudgeons of the shade roller, whereby said pin will be effectively prevented from accidental detachment, while Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 20, 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914;.

Serial No. 807,998.

at the same time, it may be readily removed from the gudgeon preparatory to detaching the shade roller from the runner, by merely slackening the cord which extends through an eye formed on said pin and manually withdrawing the pin from the gudgeon.

Another object of the invention is a formation of runner whereby the screw or axis which forms the other gudgeon of the shade roller, may be easilyconnected to its runner without binding in any way and without any possibility of accidental displacement or detachment.

The invention also has for another object an improved construction of fastening device for the lower end of the vertical supports on which the runners slide, said fastening possessing resilient characteristics and being so arranged that it will exert a down ward pressure on the nut threaded on the lower end of the vertical steel rod or cord which constitutes the runner support, said support being thereby at all times main tained rigidly in place and all chances of rattling being precluded. And the invention also aims tov generally improve devices of this class so as to render them more useful and commercially desirable.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a window equipped with my improved shade fixture. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of one of the reversible pulley and rod supporting brackets. Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the angular pivotally mounted plates with which the said reversible brackets are provided. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view through one of the brackets showing particularlythe double cord guide and the cords in section, the dotted lines in this view indicating the position of the vertically disposed portion of the bracket between the two arms of the guide. Fig. 6 is a detail side view of one of the spring brackets or fastenin 's that are used to hold the rigid supporting rods or cords. Fig. 7 is a detail end View thereof. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail side views of the runners. Fig. 10 is a detail View of the pin adapted to be inserted through the flat gudgeon of the spring shade roller and to be held in place by the cord extending therethrough, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the cord being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 10. Fig. 11 is a detail View of one of the runners detached, and, Figs. 12 and 12 are detail views of the cord-holding cleat- Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in all of the views of the accompanying drawing by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral. 1 designates the supporting rods of my adjustable shade fixture, it being understood that the word rods is in this connection broad enough to comprise any rigid support, whether it be a steel rod as such, or'reinforced steel cords, or, in fact, any rigid supporting devices on which the runners may slide. "he upper ends of the rods 1 are secured in openings formed in the angularly disposed ends of plates 2 and are provided with heads 3 to prevent any detachment by downward movement, said plates being pivotally connected by pintles at to bracket members 5 that are preferably formed of metal of sullicient pliability to permit of their ends 6 being bent out, either straight or in angular relation, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, said ends being formed with screw holes for screws or similar fastening devices, as clearly illustrated in the drawing. Preferably, additional screw holes 7 are formed in the bracket members 5 to be used where the necessities of the case may require, as, for example, where it will be found impossible, owing to the space, to use the other screw holes.

Each of the bracket nien'ibers 5 is formed with an opening in which a tlat flanged pulley S is disposed, said pulley being preferably journaled on the pintle 4L which thereby subserres a double function. A. cord 9 passes over the two pulleys 8 of the bracket members and has one end connected to a main or operating cord 10, the other end of said cord being connected to one of the runners hereinafter referred to and s )ecifically described. Another cord designated 11 passes over one of the pulleys and is connected to the other runner at one end and to the main or operating cord 10 at its other end, the cords 9 and 11 being preferably connected to the operating cord 10 in an adjustable manner by a knot of any formation or any other desired fastening means,

"eby the cords may be adjusted. as rel, to hold the two runners in true horizontal ali-nenicnt with each other, so that the shade will be maintained at all times in a level position.

.l rom the foregoing, it will be clearly understood that the brackets are reversible. is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, the same formation of bracket will serve at the right and left-hand corners or sides of the window frame, owing to the fact that the plates 2 are axially connected to the bracket men'r bers 5, whereby said bracket members may lie turned in opposite directions according to whether they are used at the left-hand side or at the right side.

in order to prevent the cords from becoming entangled, l have provided a cord guide 172 which is clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and and whi h preferably consists of a wire coiled upon itself, as at 13, to encircle the upper end of the rod 1 and be held in place by the head 3 thereof, and two laterally spaced arms ll which pass through openings 2 in the plate 2 and which tend to separate the cords l) and 11 and effectually prevent any entanglement thereof. This will be cliarly seen by particular reference to Fig.

The lower ends of the rods 1 are secured to spring brackets 15 formed with screw holes for screws or similar fastening devices, whereby they may be easily attached to the sides or inner edges of a window frame, as required, it being understood that these lower brackets 15 exert at all times a downward tension upon the nuts 16 which are screwed on the lower threaded ends of the rods 1, whereby the rods will. be held under tension at all times, and all rattling will thereby be prevented.

The runners hereinbcfore referred to are designated in the accompanying drawing by the reference numerals ll and 18, whereby one may be clearly distinguished ruin the other. The runner 17 is formed with a prefrably oblique opening 19 to receive the flat gut gee-n 20 which is connected to the spring within the shade roller, whereby, as the tension of said spring .vill serve to turn said gudgeon in one direction, it will he h ld in a true vertical position by the opposite oblique walls of the opening 1!, while at the same time, said opening may be made large enough to provide for the ready insertion of the gudgeon. In order to prevent the accidental detachmcnt of this gudgeon, 1 provide a pin 21 which extends through an opcnin g in the gudgcon and which is formed with an eye 22 through which one of the operating cords passes. It will thus be understood that so long as the cord is kept taut, as will be in tie operation and inaina the device in an operatire conditeiaance 01 tion, the pin 21 will be securely held in place. In order to detach the pin at any time, as required, it is only necessary to slacken up on the said. cord and to manually remove the pin in an evident manner. Hence, he said cord not only serves to support the runner 17 and to raise and lower as the cord moves in one direction or the opposite, but the said cord serves the additional function of holding the gudgeon locking pin 21 in position. The runner 18 is formed with what may be termed a keyhole-shaped slot 23, one end of which is of semi-circular formation, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 9, whereby it may receive the head of a screw which forms the other gudgeon for the shade supporting roller, this formation providing that the said screw can only be entered into the slot 23 in a particular position, substantially or nearly at right angles to the operative position of the screw when the shade is in place, and it will thus be understood that all chances of any accidental detachment of this screw gudgeon are precluded.

Both of the runners are preferably composed of metal plates formed with upper and lower flanges 2+1 which are apertured 25 to receive the cords, said plates being further formed with coiled cars 25 designed to encircle the runnersupporting arms 26 which may be composed of wire of the re quired size and strength, said arms being 30 \provided at their extremities with laterally disposed coils 27 which encircle the supporting rods 1.

It is manifest that the weight 01 the shade and its roller upon the runners l7 and 18 and the tension of the gudgeon 20 upon the runner 17, will tend to cause said runners to cant or bind upon the supporting rods 1; but this tendency, it is to be particularly noted, is entirely overcome by my invention,

owing to the fact that the cords are only secured at their lower ends to the lowermost flanges 24. of the runners and extend upwardly and in an outwardly inclined direction from said lower flanges through the apertures in the upper flanges, whereby all upward pull upon the cords will tend to counteract this canting action just described and insure that the runners shall slide freely upon the supporting rods 1 without any appreciable friction and without any scraping noise.

In order to hold the shade roller at the required height, I have provided a cleat 28 shown in detail in Figs. 12 and 12. It will as seen that this cleat is of S-shape by referring to Fig. 12, and that it is formed with depressions on its outer face which constitute ribs or ridges 29 on its rear face. By providing these ridges, the operating cord 10 may be securely held with only a half turn or one complete turn around the cleat, and besides, the cleat will have no tendency at all to cut or wear the cord.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, the

operatic-11 of my improved curtain fixture will be apparent, as I have described the different operations in connection with the details of construction and arrangement of the parts.

While the accompanying drawing illustrates what I believe to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited thereto, but that various changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and proportions of the arts without departing from the scope of t e invention, as defined in the appended claims.

lVhat I claim, is:

1. In an adjustable shade fixture of the character described, the combination with supporting rods, of brackets therefor, said brackets including bracket members, and axially movable plates connected thereto and designed to support the upper ends of the rods, whereby the bracket is reversible and can be used at the left-hand or righthand side of the window.

2. In an adjustable shade fixture of the character described, a rod supporting bracket, comprising a bracket member, and a plate pivotally connected thereto, said plate being provided with an apertured angularly disposed extremity formed with an opening to receive the upper end of a supporting rod.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a reversible bracket for an adjustable shade fixture, the same including a bracket member formed with an opening, a pulley received in said opening, a pintle on which said pulley is journaled, and a rod supporting plate swiveled upon said pintle.

4:. In an adjustable shade fixture, supporting rods, means for holding the same in position, shade roller supporting runners slidingly mounted on said rods and provided with upper and lower apertured flanges, and operating cords extending through the apertures in said flanges, said cords, in passing from the lower flange to the upper flange being inclined outwardly from the supporting rods, for the purpose specified.

5. In an adjustable shade fixture of the character described, supporting rods, means for holding the same in position, runners slidingly mounted on said rods and adapted to carry a shade roller, one of said runners being formed with an opening to receive one of the gudgeons of the shade roller, a pin adapted to be inserted into said gudgeon and formed with an eye, and operating cords connected to said runners, one of said cords passing through said eye and designed to hold the pin in place.

6. In an adjustable shade fixture of the character described, a runner consisting of a metal plate and a wire supporting arm, the plate being formed with coiled ears encirformed with ouenin 's throu h which said 8 :3 arms pass.

In tesbnnon whereof I hereunto affix 111 u slgnature 1n the presence of two wltnesses.

ISAAC S. SHERVVIN.

Vitnesses D. W. GALL, FREDERICK S. Stern.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

